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Thera 5.7: Kassapa of Gaya
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(204):Kassapa of Gaya Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter V. Five Verses =204. Kassapa of Gayā= Reborn in this Buddha-age in a brahmin(priest) clan story resembles that of Kassapa of the River, his followers numbered 200, and that he lived at Gaya.1 He declared aññā''(supreme attainment)'' by exalting the washing away of evil, thus: ---- 345 Pāto majjhantikaɱ sāyaɱ tikkhattuɱ divasassahaɱ,|| Otariɱ udakaɱ so'haɱ gayāya gayaphagguyā.|| || 346 Yaɱ mayā pakataɱ pāpaɱ pubbe aññāsu jātisu,|| Taɱ dānīdha pavāhemi evaɱdiṭṭhi pure ahuɱ.|| || 347 Sutvā subhāsitaɱ vācaɱ dhammatthasahitaɱ padaɱ,|| Tathaɱ yāthāvataɱ atthaɱ yoniso paccavekkhisaɱ.|| || 348 Ninhātasabbapāpomhi nimmalo payato suci,|| Suddho suddhassa dāyādo putto buddhassa oraso.|| || 349 Ogayhaṭṭhaŋgikaɱ sotaɱ sabbapāpaɱ pavāhayiɱ,|| Tisso vijjā ajjhagamiɱ kataɱ buddhassa sāsanan' ti.|| || ---- 345 At morning, at noonday, at the evening Thrice in the day I went to Gayā Down in the water at Gayā's spring feast,1 For 'sins that I have done in other births, 346 In days gone by, those here and now by this I wash away 'thus did I once believe. 347 I heard a voice that uttered winning words, Of which the burden wedded Path(Dhamma) and Good. And on their meaning, true and genuine, I pondered much and reasoned earnestly. 348 Now from all evil am I truly bathed, Cleansed from error, pure, immaculate. In purity heir of the Purified, His child, even the Buddha's very son. 349 For I have plunged into the Eightfold Stream(path of Buddha), And every evil thing I have washed away. The Threefold Wisdom have I found and won, And all the Buddha remains us do is done. ---- 1 Oddly enough, the Commentary does not mention his relationship to Uruveḷa-Kassapa, nor to Kassapa of the River. See Vinaya Texts, loc. cit 2 The Commentary repeats (cf. above, p. 181) that the annual sacramental festival in the month of Phagguṇa is here referred to, and not the name of the town only, as Dr. Neumann holds. ---- =5.7 204 Commentary on the stanza of Gayā-Kassapatthera= The stanza starting with Pāto majjaṇhikaṃ constitutes that of the venerable thera Gayā-Kassapa. What is the origin? This one also, having done devoted deeds of service toward former Buddhas, accumulating good deeds conducive towards escape from rounds of repeated rebirths (vaṭṭa) in this and that existence, was reborn in a family home, at the time of the Blessed One Sikhi, thirtyone aeons (kappa) ago; on having attained the age of intelligence, he gave up his household life, owing to his keen desire (ajjhasaya) to escape (nissaraṇa) (the rounds of repeated rebirths), renounced the world by becoming a hermit-recluse, had a hermitage built in the forest region, and dwelt there with forest roots and fruits as his nourishment. On that occasion; however, the Blessed One, all alone, without any companion, went near his hermitage. On having seen the Blessed One, he became pious-minded, approached (Him), paid his homage (to Him), stood on one side, looked at the time; and offered delightful jujube fruit to the Master. On account of that act of merit, he wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirths, among divine and human beings, and was reborn in a brahmin family, when tis Buddha arose; on having come of age, he gave up his household life owing to his keen intention (ajjhāsaya) to get out (of the rounds of repeated rebirths), renounced the world by becoming a hermit recluse, and dwelt at Gayā, together with two hundered hermits. Because he dwelt at Gayā and because his clan was Kassapa, he was known as Gayā-Kassapa. Having been given the ordination (upasampadā) with an address, made by the Blessed One as Come, monk! To him, together with his retinue, he became established in Arahantship, on his having been instructed by Buddha’s teaching of the allegory of being burnt (Ādittapariyāyadesanā). Hence, has it been said in the Apadāna:– “Dressed in antelope’s skin (ajīna), I was then the wearer (dhara) of reed raiment (vākacīra); I brought back to my hermitage jujube fruits after having filled my basket (with them). At that juncture, Buddha Sikhī, all alone, was without any companion; having His knowledge pertaining to all occasions, He came near my hermitage. Making my mind pleasingly pious, I paid my homage to the virtuous (Buddha); with my both hands raised, I made my offering of jujube fruits to Buddha. It was thirtytwo aeons (kappa) ago, that I made my fruit-offering, then; I do not remember any evil existence; this is the fruitful result of jujube offering. My depravity had been burnt. … Buddha’s instruction had been carried out.” Having; however, become established in Arahantship, he reflected upon his own proper performance (paṭipattiṃ) and spoke these five stanzas in order to reveal his Arahantship (aññā) by way of (mukhena) announcing his having washed away (pavāhana) evil (pāpa). 345. “That I descended into the water morning, noon and evening, thrice a day at Gayā on the festive day of the lunar mansion of Uttarapbaguni the month of March (phagguni). 346. “Whatever sinful deed (papa) had been done by me, formerly, in other births, I now wash it away; in this manner, formerly, was my wrong view. 347. “After having heard the well-spoken word, expressions complete with truth (dhamma) advantage and welfare, I wisely reflected upon the meaning, the truth (tathaṃ), according to the truth (yāthāvataṃ). 348. “I am cleansed of all sinful evil, free from impurity, purified and clean; I am pure, the heir of the pure, the bosom son of Buddha. 349. “After having plunged (ogayha) into the stream of the eightfold noble path, I washed off all my sinful evil. I achieved (ajjhagamiṃ) the threefold knowledge (vijjā); Buddha’s instruction had been carried out. There, this is the meaning in brief, now, of the first stanza --- Pāto means: at the time of sun-rise; majjhanhikaṃ means: at the time of midday; Sāyaṃ means: at the time of evening; thus, of the day; tikkhattuṃ means: for three times; otariṃ means: I went down into the water; in plunging into the water that I did not get down here or there or now or then; Gayāya means: then, indeed, at the landing place of Gayā well recognised (abhisammata) by the multitude of people as “Pāpapavāhana, the washing off of sinful evil.” Gayaphagguyā means: I was continuously engaged in descending into water, annually, on the festive day of the lunar mansion Uttaraphaggunī of the month of Phagguni known as Gayāphaggu. Now, in order to show that significance (adhippāya) by which he was engaged in plunging into the water, he spoke the stanza starting with “yaṃ mayā.” The meaning of that stanza.-- Ahuṃ means: I was, evaṃ diṭṭhi means: one of such a perverted view (evarūpavipariṭadassano), pure means: formerly, previous to my following the instruction of the Master, in that I said to myself thus: “Whatever evil deed had been accumulated by me formerly from now, in other existences, that I pavāhemi (now wash away), remove and cleanse (vikkhalemi), idha (here), at the landing place of Gayā, of this Gayāphaggu by means of this (my) descent into the water. Dhammatthasahitam padam sutvā means: an exegesis (niddesa) without elision of preposition (vibhatti alopena); having heard the word of Buddha, the well self-awakened, the word spoken after having made the way of escape from rounds of repeated rebirths (niyyānika) excellently (suṭṭhi) and definitely (ekantena) connected with truth (dhamma) as well as connected with the meaning (attha) with regard to its beginning (ādi), its middle (majjha) and its end (pariyosānato) which has its share (koṭṭhāsa) accompanied with (sahita) the truth (dhamma) and its meaning (attha); tathaṃ means: which is true because of being true according to the condition of absolute sense, the truth made manifest by Him; Yāthāvakaṃ means: according to the truth, according as fit (yathāraham) in the condition of occurrence (pavatti) recurrence (nivatti) and means (upāya) from the point of view of misconception (byabhicāra) atthaṃ means: such meaning as suffering (dukkha) etc; yoniso means: wisely, by such means (upāya) as by the condition of thorough understanding (pariññeyya); paccavekkhisaṃ means: I befittingly considered (pati avekkhiṃ) thus: “Dukkhaṃ pariññeyyaṃ (suffering is to be all-round understood) samudayo pahatabbo (the origin of suffering should be rejected) nirodho sacchikatabho (cessation of suffering should be visualised) maggo bhāvetabbo (the right path is to be developed).” I saw by means of my eye of knowledge and aptly penetrated (into the fourfold noble truths); thus, is the meaning. Ninhātasabbapāpomhi means: I am one who had cleansed himself of all his sinful evils by means of the water of the noble (ariya) path (magga) but because of the state of having aptly penetrated into the (fourfold) truths in this manner. Nimmalo means: free from inpurities because of the state of being devoid of dirt and owing to absence of such impurities as lust (rāga) etc., but consequently. Payato suci suddho means: purified, clean and pure, because of the condition of all-round pure bodily conduct, all round pure verbal conduct and all round pure mental conduct but consequent upon that. Suddhassa dāyādo means: I am the heir as a result of taking upon myself the heritage of transcendental truth of Buddha, the Blessed One who is cleanly pure, being free from all the dirt of depravity (kilesa) along with its propensity (vāsanā). Oraso means: I am the bosom son because of the state of my having been specially born and produced by the exertion (vāyāma) of the bosom (uro), whence originates the knowledge of teaching of that very (buddha); thus, is the interpretation. Again also, he spoke the concluding (osāna) stanza starting with “Ogayha” in order to elucidate but his own condition of bathing (nhātaka) from the point of view of absolute meaning (paramattha). There ogayha means: having plunged and gone into. Aṭṭhaṅgikaṃ sotaṃ means: the stream of the right path (magga) which has become the combination (samodhāna) of such eight paths right view (sammādiṭṭhi) and so on. Sabbapāpaṃ pavāhayiṃ means: I washed away the impurity of sinful evil totally (anavasesaṃ). I became a cleanly bathed one in the absolute sense (paramattha) owing to me having been cleansed by the water of the noble (ariya) path (magga). As a result of but that “Tisso vijjā ajjhagamiṃ, kataṃ Buddhassa sāsanaṃ;” the meaning has but been said. The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Gayā-Kassapa is complete.